Reno, Nevada

Left Elko heading further west and getting closer to home.  Had hoped to see my grandson, Jake, at UNR but he was going to LA to visit his girl friend, so drove around the campus as I had never seen it before.  Quite a nice looking campus with lots of brick buildings covered with ivy and lots of trees.  Maybe one of these days he can give me a tour.  Spending the night at Boom Town and ready to head back to Monterey tomorrow.  No gambling, just sitting in my room with my feet up and working on this blog.

Have to admit that I am getting tired and it will be so nice to sleep in my own bed.  Will have another post when I get home.  Hope to have all the mileage worked out so I can brag about how many miles I actually drove.

More later.

Elko, Nevada

Slowly working my way west and next stop is Elko, Nevada.  Have driven thru several times and probably stopped for gas a few times but that is all I know about the town except my sister and her husband attend Cowboy Poetry there every February.

Well, several months ago an old friend contacted me on Facebook.  My first husband and her husband were in the same pilot training class in 1961 and we had seen each other once about 1968 and then sort of lost contact with each other.  So, I decided I would stop in Elko on my way home and we could catch up and talk old times.  Had a super fun time and so good to hear all about her family and what has happened to her in the past 40 years.  Hopefully she will come visit in Monterey sometime soon.

Mormon Temple

More SLC

Hiked up from the train station to the Temple Square.  Quite impressive with all of the statuesque architecture and lovely landscaping.  Interesting that the Hotel Utah is now Mormon offices.  It is very majestic and has been renovated and you still get the feeling that it was once an elegant hotel in the city.

Salt Lake City Train Station

It has been refurbished inside but not used as a train station

Olympic Statute Near Fountain

Salt Lake City

First things first, had my car washed this morning.  It had been sitting outside for 4 weeks in Minneapolis and I had now driven thru rain and dust and  I could not see out of any of  windows!!

about Olympic Legacy Plaza Snowflake Fountain:

Get ready to get wet! This fountain is hard to resist. Kids of all ages (even parents) play in this fountain, and it's a great way to cool off in the summer months.

A large stone version of the snowflake logo from the 2002 Winter Olympics forms the shape of a ground-level fountain, which features shooting jets of water synchronized to the Olympic theme and other music. The 'water dance' goes off every 30 minutes, for 10 minutes at a stretch, though the times in between are just as much fun. On very sunny days, you can see a rainbow through the jets of water.

You'll find plenty of space to sit (and stay dry), and you can also check out the nearby Wall of Honor, which lists the 27,000 volunteers from the 2002 Winter Olympics. 

This area is in the Gateway Shopping Center which is behind the renovated Salt Lake City Union Pacific Railroad Station.  The shopping center is quite unique with several levels and wandering streets.  There is also a day spa that has a fairly large gym with exercise equipment.  I even managed to get a manicure while I was in there.

Westward Ho

Leaving Rawlins, heading toward Salt Lake City, I noticed more small herds of antelope and enjoyed the many horses frolicking over the range.  Not too much to look at but I could see some of the drilling apparatus for natural gas far out and away from the hiway.

Decided to take a side trip and see a site, Flaming Gorge.  The dam was about 63 miles south of Highway 80 so off I went.  A really nice drive, lots of beautiful rock formations and the road was quite nice, even though only two lanes.  When I reached the dam I walked around a bit and then took off to drive around the area and end up back on 80, closer to Salt Lake City.  As soon as I started from the dam my battery light came on and I almost panicked.  Was not sure what to do as I was now a long way from the main highway.  I knew there was a lodge and restaurant about a mile away and I drove there, hoping my trusty Blazer would make it.  I drove into the Lodge area and there was a gas station and an area that did boat repair.  I asked the guy if he would look at my car and he put a tester on it and said it was the alternator.  The solution for this was not easy or cheap.  Someone had to drive 45 minutes to a small town, pick up the part and drive 45 minutes back.  He called and was assured they had the correct part and a fellow took off driving to pick up the part.  I was a little nervous about the whole mess but I felt I had no choice.  I worried that the parts store would not have the part and I would have to stay at the rustic lodge overnight but I lucked out in that field and was on my way  in less that 3 hours but $435 poorer.  Guess there was no choice and I was glad to get moving again.
Everyone was very nice to me during this time, letting me sit in the restaurant, use my computer and read a book.

The drive to Salt Lake City was long from Flaming Gorge and, of course, I worried about something else happening to my car.  The scenery made the drive worthwhile and I am happy I was able to experience the beauty even though it was an expensive ride.!!!  Arrived in Salt Lake City about 6PM just in time for rush hour traffic but made it to the motel with no problems and believe me, I really slept well!!!

Flaming Gorge

Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area was established by Congress October 1, 1968. The area contains 207,363 acres of land and water, almost equally divided between Utah and Wyoming.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is the most popular attraction here. It is a huge reservoir providing outstanding opportunity for boating, fishing, skiing, jet skiing, houseboating and other water sports. Five full-service marinas offer launching, storage and maintenance facilities.

The reservoir surface water is cool even during the heat of summer. That means the reservoir provides excellent habitat for trout, and it is invigoratingly cool for water skiers.

Flaming Gorge is famous for its trophy lake trout. Good number of 30+ pound fish are caught each year. The Utah record went 51 lb 8 oz, and there may yet be a bigger one swimming in the reservoir. Fishing is also very good for rainbows, brown trout, kokanee salmon and smallmouth bass.

Only primitive roads lay across the eastern Uinta mountain range when construction of Flaming Gorge Dam began in 1958. Construction of the dam, development of the recreation area, and highway access have ushered in the modern era for this ageless country.

Request a brochure with information about this area.

Rising 502 feet above bedrock, Flaming Gorge Dam impounds waters of the Green River to form the reservoir, which extends as far as 91 miles to the north. The reservoir has a total capacity of 3,788,900 acre-feet. At full elevation of 6,045 feet, it has a surface area of 42,020 acres.

Pony Express Stop In Nebraska

Corn, corn and more corn

Leaving Fairmont I headed west on I-90 to Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Need I tell you that I have never seen so much corn in my life!!!!  Fields and fields and fields of corn, now picked and dried, some fields already cut down.  Interesting driving in this area, partly along the Missouri River, which was part of the Lewis and Clark Trail.  If you remember from part of my blog in Oregon, that I had visited the end of the Lewis and Clark Trail in Seaside, Oregon.  After reaching Sioux Falls, I headed south to Omaha and then west on I-80.  I have never been on I-80 in that part of the country so decided to add it to my driving experience. Driving through Nebraska was another "corny" experience!!!  Really, the corn fields continued for mile after mile, but interesting that I crossed the South Fork of the Platte River at North Platte, Nebraska.  I did lose track of how many times I crossed the Platte River.  Spent the night in Kearney (pronounced Karney), Nebraska, which is just about central Nebraska, a town of about 30,000.  Kearney is the home of the University of Nebraska Kearney.

Forgot to mention that one of my favorite gas stations on this trip is called "Kum and Go".  Always good for a laugh.

Next morning continued on thru Nebraska and yes, there was more corn and I made a stop at an old pony express stop.  Hard to imagine that mail was delivered by horseback way back when.   My grand kids think I was alive during the days of the pony express.   As I proceeded further west toward Wyoming, the corn fields started to disappear and now there were wheat and alfalfa fields and I started seeing more cattle.  Arriving in Wyoming  thru Cheyenne and Laramie, I saw small herds of antelope along the way.  I spent the night in Rawlins and learned from people there that this area is booming with the drilling of natural gas.  Very interesting and a boom for this small town.

Fairmont, Minnesota

Sadly it was time to get back on the road and head toward Monterey.  Sad to say goodbye to Ron and Bernice.  We had such a great time traveling for a month and I wish we lived closer so we could get together more often.  I know that we all have loads of memories of this trip and will have lots to talk about for years to come.

Drove from Minneapolis southwest to a small town, Fairmont, Minneapolis.  Nice drive along the river and with the trees changing colors--reds and yellows among the evergreens.  Then as I was closer to the southern part of the State the corn fields appear, acres and acres of corn or soybeans. 

Fairmont, MN, is a small town that sits in the middle of corn and soybean fields.  Some of the corn fields come right up to the back yards of some homes.  Larry's nephew, Bob, and his family live in Fairmont and a corn field comes right to their back yard.
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Bob is an optometrist in  Fairmont and the girls are cross country runners.  Lauren is a state ranked runner and Jacklyn is in junior high but does some running for the varsity high school team.  We did a nice 4 miles walk around one of the lakes in Fairmont.  I understand there are five lakes there and you can go from one to the other in your boat.  I also saw Lauren and Jaclyn's mother, Diane, and she accompanied us to lunch.  Great to see everyone and it was fun to see where they live and play.  Jaclyn may come to Monterey next summer to train with another runner.  Will be fun to have her.  Hope that Lauren can  come sometime also.  Really sweet and great girls.  We are all very proud of them.

Super Friese Family 

Robyn, Greg, Clayton and Clay

Robyn is Ron and Bernice's younger daughter.  She lives with her husband Greg, sons Clayton and Colin in Savage Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.  Greg works for Lufthansa and Robyn works in the medical field.  Clayton and Colin keep busy with school and all the activities for boys 9 and 5.  We had a super steak and shrimp dinner at their home and ate way more than one should eat but it sure was fun. 

Randy, Bird and Jake Anderson

Unfortunately, in the commotion, I did not get a picture of this wonderful family.  Randy and Bird rented our golf course house a few years back while Randy was attending the Language School, studying Spanish.  After Monterey they moved to Uruguay and now Randy is out of the Navy and the family lives in Minneapolis, a very short distance from Ron and Bernice.  Jake is a first grader, so very cute and extremely intelligent.  He attends a Quaker school in St Paul and it certainly seems to be agreeing with him.  We had a delightful brunch on the patio with the Anderson's, eggs and cheese baked over heirloom tomatoes, yummy.  When they moved to Minneapolis they purchased an older home and have done so much work on the inside and outside of the house and their backyard is so inviting, with patio and vegetable producing garden. 

We spent a wonderful morning catching up and hearing about Randy's new job and all of the activities of the family.  They were about to drive to the country and enjoy the day in a corn maze and hay rides.  Again, I am so sorry I do not have a picture.  Hopefully they will come to Monterey in the near future.

Linda

Ron and Bernice's daughter, Linda.  We had a great dinner with her at a a new restaurant near Ron and Bernice's, Tavern on France.  Good food and great company.  Linda is involved in real estate in the Minneapolis area keeps very busy with her job, family, and friends and some traveling thrown in!!

Back in Minneapolis

After about 48 hundred miles we arrived back in Minneapolis, tired, car full of dirty clothes and lots of wonderful memories.  Took two days for all of us to feel rested and wished maybe we could get back on the road again!!!  So sad that we had to turn in the beautiful Cadillac CTS to the rental company.  Was a wonderful car to drive for the 4800 miles--smooth, quiet, fair gas mileage, zippy and looked great.  Had to get back in the Blazer and had forgotten how rough the ride is and how loud it is.  Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

Fall has arrived in Minneapolis and the leaves are changing.  So very beautiful.

St. Louis #2

Jefferson Expansion Memorial was establish as a National Park in 1935 to commemorate the westward expansion of the United Sates.   Designed by architect Eero Saarien in 1947, the 630 foot Gateway Arch was built between 1963 and 1965.  It stands as a monument to the city of St. Louis and the diverse group of people that played a role in opening the vast wilderness west of the Mississippi.  You can ride to the top of this arch but it is in these egg shaped trolleys which looked a little claustrophobic to me but besides that problem, there was more than an hour wait and we did need to get on with the trip, so here is a picture!!! 

My Favorites At the Brewery

Beautiful Beast

 




Brewery Wagons





A Leroy Neiman Painting

St. Louis, Missouri

Leaving Memphis, we headed north thru Missouri, next stop St. Louis.  Traveling on Highway 55 thru Tennessee and Missouri is a beautiful drive, lots of rolling hills and beautiful trees.  First stop was the Anheuser-Busch Brewery World Headquarters founded in the 1800s.  Some of the buildings are historic and mostly made from red brick.  The tour included the lobby which has displays of awards, sporting events, beer steins, paintings, etc.  The best part of the tour was first, seeing the Budweiser Clydesdales.  What beautiful and strong creatures we were privileged to see close up. I understand the Clydesdale tradition began in 1933 when Agustus Busch and Adolphus Busch presented their father with a team of horses and a bright red brewery wagon to celebrate the end of prohibition.  Along the tour we learned the process of brewing beer but don't ask me to give you the details.  There are breweries in New Hampshire, California, Colorado and Florida so you can see the process yourself.  At the end of the tour you can sample quite a number of beers, two glasses each.  That is a total of two glasses!!  Since I am not a beer drinker, I had about three swallows of dark beer and Ron and Bernice drank a glass.  Really a fun tour, and free, and I would recommend it to everyone.

Elvis

Do not think I can give you an accurate sense of my feelings during this tour but will attempt to tell you a little about Graceland.

 Have always had the desire to go to Graceland and visit the home of Elvis and here I am.  The tour was set up so you rode a small bus up to the mansion entrance and you were given an audio headphone to listen as we walked thru the mansion.  As we entered the mansion we first saw the living room, the dining room, Elvis' mother's bedroom and the kitchen.   The decor was not as bad as I thought but then we got into the rest of the home.  The pool table room was too much, the walls and ceiling covered with 300 to 350 yards of green plaid, small pleaded fabric.   And then the family room--the jungle room with fur covered furniture and  jungle artifacts.  Oh boy, this was 70's out of this world!!!  Certainly not my style!!  The best and most interesting part of the tour were the rooms with all of Elvis' gold records and awards.  These were beautifully framed and lined the walls from top to bottom.  Hard to believe one man could have so many gold records.  There were also copies of checks that he had written to his favorite charites, mostly children's groups.  Elvis's weddding tuxedo and Pricilla's wedding dress are on display in this area along with a few baby idems of Lisa Marie's.   We did walk by the outdoor pool and saw the horse barns and fields but there are no horses on the property now.  Went into the racquetball court that he had built when he decided to play recquetball.  This building now is full of some of his most colorful and fancy jumpsuits and more walls covered with gold records and awads.  We then passed by the grave sites of his mother, father and grandfather and then, of course, the gravesite of Elvis.  Along the pathway to the exit there are dozens of tributes sent to the manion in memory of The King.  The come from all over the world, from fan clubs and individuals.  Any memorial send to the mansion is displayed until they are too weathered and are then destroyed.

Funny feelings for me walking thru the house where  Elvis lived and called home.  In some ways most things were so interesting and sometimes it felt almost like a funeral .  Most people seemed to walk thru the mansion without speaking or if anyone spoke it was in hushed tones.  Funny reactions by everyone, including myself.  Am I an Elvis fan,?   Yes, of course and I always will be.

Front Entrance to Graceland

National Historic Landmark

Some Famous Jumpsuits

Elvis Has Left The Building

On To Memphis

After a hefty $32.50 charge from the hotel for parking our car, with the help of the trusty GPS, we headed north--destination Memphis, Tennessee.  Driving away from New Orleans, we crossed more elevated highways and the long one, crossing Lake Pontchartrain.  As we headed north we slowly left the masses of pine trees which line the freeways in most of the southern states. On satellite radio we heard that LSU beat Tennessee in last minute of the game, so happy we were not on Bourbon Street Street on Saturday night--could have been very interesting as I am sure Tennessee feels they got robbed.

After settling into our hotel we hastily headed to Beale Street, the Bourbon Street of  Memphis.  Fun to wander down the street listening to jazz, soul, R&R, and hear some groups playing and trying to promote themselves and sell CDs.  Lots of horse and buggies here in Memphis but different in that each buggy has a dog riding with the driver. 

Walked thru the famous Peabody Hotel but we were too late to see the "ducks".  Seems that many years ago a hunter used to stay at the Peabody and at that time they used "live" decoys.  The story goes that as he was drinking in the bar, the ducks were playing in the fountain which sits in the lobby. So it has become a tradition for ducks to be in the lobby fountain but now they only parade thru the lobby to the fountain twice a day and we were too late to see them.  But I can assure you, if you have never been to the Peabody, that the lobby is one of the most elegant I have ever seen.  The beamed ceiling of dark wood was unbelievably gorgeous, along with the elegant chandeliers, the fountain, and stunning wood bar at one end of the lobby.  Running out of adjectives to describe the Peabody!!!

Had dinner at BB King's restaurant on Beale Street, enjoying some of his signature barbecue dishes.  Bernice even enjoyed the ribs!!!

The drive along the river in Memphis was interesting with some of the most beautiful homes sitting on the bluff above the river.  Memphis is a cool city. Tomorrow morning is Graceland.  Can hardly wait.  Need to put on our "Blue Suede Shoes".

The Big Easy

The drive from Pensacola was interesting.  Drove from Florida thru Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisiana.  Notice these states seem to have billboard after billboard, something we in California are not accustomed to.  Beautiful scenery with mile after mile of pine trees lining the highway.  Since this part of the country sits in the low lands, we crossed what seemed like dozens of bridges.  Arriving in New Orleans we found our hotel at the corner of Canal and Bourbon Streets, pretty convenient.  Did a great walk to the river and along the French Market,  of course, stopping at Cafe du Monte, yum.  Wandered thru Jackson Square watching the mimes, palm readers, music groups performing and, of course, the multitudes of tourists.  Wandering thru the French Quarter we admired the old buildings with ornate wrought iron rails with lush greenery growing on and down them.  Along Bourbon Street we stopped for mango daiquiris for a little refreshment and to rest our weary feet.  There was a big football game scheduled for Saturday between Tennessee and LSU so the streets were full of orange clad Tennessee supporters.  Later in the evening we ventured out in the French Quarter and enjoyed dinner, even though Bernice, in New Orleans, ordered a hamburger!!  But I tried a Louisiana dish, Shrinp Etouffee.  Wonderful experience and I have looked up the recipe.  If you are interested, look it up on the internet.  Maybe some of us can try making it sometime.  By this time of the evening Bourbon Street was really hopping and we enjoyed the wildness for a while but being old folks, we finally had to call it an evening.

New Orleans




 

Is there anything else in New Orleans?

And is there any other place to get them?

Ron Bernice

First Time in New Orleans

Bourbon Street

Friday night on Bourbon Street!!

Dinner in Pensacola, Florida

Captain Robert Mitchell

Dinner With Captain Mitchell

Ron, Bernice and I were honored to have dinner with Captain Robert Mitchell (Bob) while we visited Pensacola.  He has had a very interesting and long career in the Navy.  He is now 92 years young and such a delightful person to converse with, especially talking about his career in the Navy and he certainly is proud of his children and grandchildren.  We had dinner at  McQuires Irish Pub in Pensacola and felt so privileged to have spent the evening with such a fine person.  I am enclosing a biography of Captain Mitchell so you will have some idea of his illustrious career.

Captain Robert E. Mitchell, MC, USN (Ret)


Naval Flight Surgeon

Honorary Naval AviatorB

CAPT Robert E. Mitchell graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1942, and received his medical degree from the McGill University Faculty of Medicine in Montreal, Canada in 1947. Performing his internship and residency at the U.S. Naval Hospitals in San Diego and Oakland, he attended the Army Medical Service Graduate School at Walter Reed Army Medical Center before being designated a Naval Flight Surgeon at Naval Air Station Pensacola in 1955. His career included service ashore and afloat, including duty as Senior Medical Officer on the carrier Shangri-La (CVA 38), Staff Medical Officer for the First Marine Aircraft Wing in Vietnam, and Senior Medical Officer and Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Hospital at NS Rota, Spain. He spent fifteen years in various posts at the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine, and Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, culminating with command of the latter. During this time, he played the leading role in the "Thousand Aviator Study", and a program of medical evaluation of repatriated Vietnam prisoners of war, both landmark studies that have contributed immeasurably to the medical field. Active to this day in these studies, "Doc" Mitchell is a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association and Royal Society of Medicine, and during his career has accumulated 2,000 flight hours, including many under combat conditions.

Ron and Bernice

Ron and Bernice all dressed up and enjoying the banquet. Great fun and everyone enjoyed the talk by Charles Duke, a member of the 526, who became an astronaut and was a lunar module pilot on Apollo 16.

Dinner Cruise Which Was Part Of The Reunion

Rip Roaring Ramstein Reunion

Rip Roaring Ramstein Reunion

There's no mistaking the Don Cesar Beach Resort and Spa. Instantly known as Florida's Pink Castle when it opened back in 1928, this ten-story hotel sits on the sugary sands of St. Pete Beach, an island in the Gulf of Mexico. Mediterranean and Moorish architectural motifs and the hotel's cotton-candy-colored facade and lush tropical surroundings stand in inviting contrast against Florida's Caribbean-blue sky. Originally named for the chivalrous Don Ce-Sar in Vincent Wallace's light opera Maritana, the Don (as it is locally known) was built by Thomas Rowe, who spared no expense on this balcony- and terrace-lined building. Marble fountains, lofty ceilings and rich furnishings are just a few of the alluring details of this 277-guest-room resort, most with views of the Gulf of Mexico or Boca Ciega Bay. Easy access to the beach, golf shuttles, two pools, a full-service fitness center and spa, children's activities, daily sailing and waverunning clinics--it even served as a training camp for the New York Yankees.

This hotel was a perfect spot for the Rip Roaring Ramstein Reunion that I attended.  This was a reunion of the 417th and 526 Tactical Fighter Squadrons originally based in Ramstein and Hahn Air Force Bases in Germany.  As you can imagine there were lots of "old fighter pilot" stories all around the hotel.  My first husband, Duane, was a pilot in the 417th so I try to attend these reunions, which happen every two years.

On arriving at the hotel Ron and Bernice began investigating the hotel and I splurged on a pedicure and manicure in the hotel.  The pedicure so welcome after the long days of walking at Disney World.  Walking around the grounds we ran into an old friend, Earl and his lovely new wife, Shirley.  After lots of chit chat we enjoyed dinner on the outdoor patio.  My friend Annie, from southern California, showed up and we made plans for the next day.  Days were spent walking the beach or sitting in the hospitality room swapping stories from the "old days".  Great to see old friends like the Sarchets, the Mussers, the Tanners, the Godfrey kids, Dave Rohr and his two lovely daughters, the Deeds and many more old friends.  Looking forward to San Diego in two years.

Epcot Center

Sad to say but I do not have any pictures at the Epcot Center but it was a rather miserable day, so hot, so humid and rain off and on all day.  One fun thing we did was ride the cars in the General Motors Test Track.  They gave us some experiences with braking, cornering, rough roads and then a fast ride up to 60MPH.  Fun but not as exciting as they had hyped it up to be.  We experienced a boat ride showing us how they are growing fish and plants in small places and more naturally.  Pretty interesting.  The ride into the large sphere (the big golf ball) that is the logo for the Center was fun but right now it escapes me as to what I saw!!!  Saw the energy show narrated by Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye.  Fun and sort of educational.  Between rain storms we walked thru all of the exhibits from all of the countries, Spain, Germany, Canada, etc, etc. There is the ride "Soaring over California" which is a popular ride but even getting a fast pass was impossible.  I have done that ride at Disneyland and Bernice and Ron do not do well with that sort of thing, they get sick!!

So, we took the monorail back to the hotel and headed to the casual pool bar.  It was Friday night and Karaoke night and the bar was full of enlisted guys and they were having a ball.  We enjoyed some bar food and enjoyed the guys singing and having a great time.  I bought all of them a round of drinks (anonymously) and they all cheered and drank more.  Of course, we had a "few" ourselves and finally gave up as the bar closed at 11 PM and everyone had to give up and head to their rooms.  This was a super duper hotel and we enjoyed everything about it.  Next morning we had Starbucks and a cinnamon roll, jumped in the car, our super red Cadillac, and headed to the Rip Roaring Ramstein Reunion in St. Pete's Beach, about 3 hours west of Orlando on the Gulf of Mexico.